And Life Was Changed—Disassembled, Rearranged
by Bonsoir
Summary: FE7. There was only one word to describe the relationship between Hector and Farina. It started with an "F," was four letters long, and was followed by the word "buddies." Farina couldn't quite remember how it had come to that, but she tried to as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror frantically waving a pregnancy test as if that might change the result it displayed: positive.


**Title:** And Life Was Changed—Disassembled, Rearranged  
**Chapter Title**: Change  
**Characters:** Hector, Farina, and assorted others.  
**Genre:** Romance, Friendship  
**Words:** 1,068  
**Notes:** This is a modern-day AU. Rating is due to language and themes, it will go up to M soon-ish. Special thanks to Mark of the Asphodel and Kender for their advice with this first chapter.

* * *

There was only one word to describe the relationship between Hector and Farina. It started with an "F," was four letters long, and was followed by the word "buddies."

Farina couldn't quite remember how it had come to that, but she tried to as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror frantically waving a pregnancy test as if that might change the result it displayed.

Positive. Still positive.

Well, _fuck._ No—wait. That was what had gotten her into this mess to begin with, wasn't it? _Fuck_!

She wanted to throw the pregnancy test in the trash, but she just kept staring at it. A baby. She was going to have a baby.

The relationship she had with Hector was a _practical_ relationship. It worked for them. It was convenient. It made sense. It fit into both of their busy schedules and it allowed for a nice release of tension whenever one or both of them were feeling in need of it.

They weren't _dating_ and she wasn't supposed to _get_ pregnant.

How was she going to tell Hector about this? How had it even _happened_? She _never_ forgot to take her pills. She always followed the instructions and took them like clockwork—at the same time every single day. Because of that, they never _used_ anything else.

When had it happened?

She wondered if she ought to go to the doctor on her own to find out, but what if _Hector_ wanted to go? What if he wanted her to _abort_? What if he was angry about it?

She had too many questions and very few answers.

She didn't really care _what_ Hector said about it—she was keeping it. She'd decided that immediately, and nothing he said would change her mind.

The pregnancy test made a plasticy clattering sound as it hit the bottom of the fresh liner in the trashcan.

* * *

Over the last couple of weeks, she'd been feeling nauseous throughout the day. It was normal for her to be a little nauseous first thing in the morning if she didn't get enough sleep, or if she ate too much right away, but what had been happening to her was different. To add to her confusion, Rex, her weird tabby cat, began to curl up across her belly—something he'd never done before because he hated being touched—or even looked at.

After both oddities continued for a couple of weeks, she'd decided that something was wrong, and something told her it wasn't another upper respiratory infection.

Her first guess had been correct, of course. What else could it be?

By the time her work shift started, she had done plenty of thinking.

When she had her half hour break for dinner, she tried giving Hector a call, but he didn't answer his home phone. Even though she knew it was terrible of her, she let out a relieved sigh.

She didn't know what to say to him anyway. She didn't think, "Hey guess what? I'm carrying your child!" was the best way to deliver the news, least of all over the phone. He wouldn't be happy about the news—that much she was certain of.

What single man in his late 20s wanted to hear that he was going to be a father?

"You should ditch him and go with me." It was Dart, leaning up against the side of the building, smoking the last of his cigarette.

"Hah." It was the wittiest response she could come up with. She was too busy thinking about babies and Hector and how to tell him about things to think about anything else.

"What's wrong?" Of course he could tell that something _was_. Farina Clark was _never_ without a snappy, energetic comeback.

She decided to take the distraction route. "Don't you usually chat up Anna?"

"Yeah." He tossed the pathetic remains of his cigarette on the ground and squished it beneath his heel, grinding it into the concrete. "But you know that song, _Jessie's Girl_?"

"Yeah…"

He promptly broke into song, "You know I wish that I had Jake's girl, I wish that I had Jake's girl."

"Don't quit your job," she said, making a face.

He shrugged, but grinned. "I'm not that bad."

"You're not that good, either," she pointed out, and moved inside before he could retort.

* * *

By the time her shift ended, she had done something she'd never done before—scheduled a vacation day for the very next evening. She hated taking a Saturday off, but her boss penciled her without any argument; it was so rare for her to ask for any time off that she was almost guaranteed priority over the others.

By Monday she knew she'd be the talk of the plant, but she didn't care. She had to tell Hector that she was pregnant, and she didn't think breaking the news to him after work was such a good idea, not after he'd worked all day.

Besides, if she showed up after eleven o'clock he'd think she was there for sex and she knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy it even if she did want it, not with the knowledge of her pregnancy weighing on her as it was.

When she finally made it home, she got ready for bed and studied her belly in the mirror; it looked normal. Feeling confused, she got into bed and stared up at the darkened ceiling.

She supposed that most people felt a specific emotion when they found out they were pregnant: horror, or elation, or joy. She mostly felt numb and a little scared.

The fear was stupid, though. Hector would have to help her, at least financially, and she had been through enough shit in her life that logically she knew a baby was something she could handle—she'd be all right. She liked kids.

But a baby meant that things would not stay the same.

Her plans for the future, her body, even her relationship with Hector—they were all going to change.

_Everything_ was going to change for Farina. Forever.

Yet she couldn't even figure out how to take that first step—telling Hector that he was going to be a father.

With her mind so busy trying to think of what to say and how to say it, sleep did not find her until very late, and even then, it was restless and unhappy.


End file.
